Neoechinorhynchus (Neoechinorhynchus) zabensis sp. n. (Acanthocephala: Neoechinorhynchidae) from freshwater fish in northern Iraq

Neoechinorhynchus (Neoechinorhynchus) zabensis sp. n. (Acanthocephala: Neoechinorhynchidae) is described from Capoeta damascina (Valenciennes, 1842) (type host) and Capoeta trutta (Heckel, 1843) in the Greater and Lesser Zab Rivers, northern Iraq. The new species is unique among all other species of the genus by its characteristic paired para-vaginal muscular appendage and fragmented giant nuclei in the lemnisci. Eleven of the other 88 valid species of Neoechinorhynchus and N. zabensis have middle and posterior hooks of equal length. However, N. zabensis is distinguished from the others by size of trunk, proboscis, proboscis hooks and lemnisci, number of giant nuclei, position of female gonopore, and geographical and host distribution. It is also distinguished from six other species of Neoechinorhynchus previously reported from Iraq. Other distinguishing features are also included.     

Drought trend analysis in a semi-arid area of Iraq based on Normalized Difference Vegetation Index,Normalized Difference Water Index and Standardized Precipitation Index

Drought was a severe recurring phenomenon in Iraq over the past two decades due to climate change despite the fact that Iraq has been one of the most water-rich countries in the Middle East in the past.The Iraqi Kurdistan Region(IKR)is located in the north of Iraq,which has also suffered from extreme drought.In this study,the drought severity status in Sulaimaniyah Province,one of four provinces of the IKR,was investigated for the years from 1998 to 2017.Thus,Landsat time series dataset,including 40 images,were downloaded and used in this study.The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index(NDVI)and the Normalized Difference Water Index(NDWI)were utilized as spectral-based drought indices and the Standardized Precipitation Index(SPI)was employed as a meteorological-based drought index,to assess the drought severity and analyse the changes of vegetative cover and water bodies.The study area experienced precipitation deficiency and severe drought in 1999,2000,2008,2009,and 2012.Study findings also revealed a drop in the vegetative cover by 33.3%in the year 2000.Furthermore,the most significant shrinkage in water bodies was observed in the Lake Darbandikhan(LDK),which lost 40.5%of its total surface area in 2009.The statistical analyses revealed that precipitation was significantly positively correlated with the SPI and the surface area of the LDK(correlation coefficients of 0.92 and 0.72,respectively).The relationship between SPI and NDVI-based vegetation cover was positive but not significant.Low precipitation did not always correspond to vegetative drought;the delay of the effect of precipitation on NDVI was one year.     

Two new species of Philometra (Nematoda: Philometridae) from needlefishes (Belonidae) in Iraq, with a key to Philometra spp. parasitic in the host's subcutaneous tissue, fins and musculature

Two new nematode species, Philometra strongylurae sp. n. and Philometra tylosuri sp. n., are described from female specimens collected from needlefishes (Belonidae, Beloniformes) off the Fao coast, Basrah, Persian Gulf, in Iraq. Philometra strongylurae (gravid females with larvae) was recorded from the subcutaneous tissue, muscles of beak and gills of Strongylura leiura (type host) and S. strongylura, whereas P. tylosuri (nongravid females) from the musculature and the subcutaneous tissue of Tylosurus crocodilus. The former is characterized mainly by the presence of eight markedly large cephalic papillae, conspicuously large anterior oesophageal bulb and by the length of body (15-20 mm); the latter by eight minute cephalic papillae, poorly developed oesophageal bulb and by the body length (46-72 mm). A key to Philometra spp. with gravid females parasitic in the subcutaneous tissue, fins or musculature of fishes is provided.     

Monogenoids from the gills of spiny eels (Teleostei: Mastacembelidae) in India and Iraq, proposal of Mastacembelocleidus gen. n., and status of the Indian species of Actinocleidus, Urocleidus and Haplocleidus (Monogenoidea: Dactylogyridae)

Mastacembelocleidus gen. n. (Monogenoidea: Dactylogyridae) is proposed to include two species collected and redescribed from spiny eels (Mastacembelidae) in India and Iraq: Mastacembelocleidus bam (Tripathi, 1959) comb. n. (syn. Ancyrocephalus bam Tripathi, 1959) from the gills of Macrognathus pancalus (new host record) and Macrognathus aculeatus (Synbranchiformes: Mastacembelidae) from Lucknow, India; and Mastacembelocleidus heteranchorus (Kulkami, 1969) comb. n. (syn. Urocleidus heteranchorus Kulkarni, 1969) from the gills of Mastacembelus armatus from Lucknow, India, and Mastacembelus mastacembelus (new host record) from the environs of Erbil, Iraq (new locality record). Urocleidus rhyncobdelli Jain, 1959, Haliotrema tandani Agrawal et Singh, 1982 and Urocleidus raipurensis Dubey, Gupta et Agarwal, 1992 are considered junior subjective synonyms of M. bam.